Hypocalcæmia, Grass Tetany or Grass Staggers in Sheep

Extent of utilisation of dual‐purpose wheat for grazing by late‐pregnant and lambing ewes and producer‐reported incidence of health issues in southern New South Wales

“…If these cereals are used for grazing by reproducing sheep, the calcium and magnesium concentrations in wheat forage may be less than ewe requirements, which has the potential to affect ewe health and productivity. Hypomagnesaemia, otherwise known as grass tetany, is a cause of losses in mature cows grazing wheat forage in the USA, and grass tetany and hypocalcaemia have previously been reported in flocks in northern NSW in association with grazing wheat crops . Sheep producers within the Hume Livestock Health and Pest Authority (LHPA), an area where the use of dual‐purpose wheats for grazing is a well‐established practice, were surveyed in the present study to understand the current extent of the practice of grazing late‐pregnant and/or lambing ewes on wheat, gather baseline data of ewe losses during late pregnancy and lambing in the district, identify the main causes of ewe ill‐health and identify preventive management practices for flocks grazing wheat pasture.…”